Summary of Week 2

Desktop computing is central to the lives of huge numbers of the world’s population for many different reasons including work, education, leisure and everyday living.

We discussed some typical desktop applications and alternative input /output mechanisms such as switches and screen readers that facilitate access to desktop computers. But importantly we wanted you to experience the development of accessible documents and ways of checking them.

However, while desktop computing is still a major part of our lives we have moved inexorably to the era of mobile computing. Our phones now have unbelievable computational power. Many computer tasks that were previously only possible when sitting at a desk can now be done any time, any place with the swipe of a finger. The wired connections of desktops have stood aside for the wireless connections of mobile. While many of the issues with traditional desktop computing are still relevant - mobile computing brings many new challenges. This will be the central focus of Week 3.